Numerous video signal sources are available in television studios. Said signal sources include recording apparatuses, such as, for example, tape machines, cameras and also satellite or cable connections. In the production of a newscast, for example, different signal sources are often inter-connected to form a contribution. Typically, a newsreader in the studio is a guide through the broadcast, said newsreader being recorded by one or a plurality of cameras. The newsreader introduces previously recorded contributions or direct transmissions. By means of studio mixers, various video sources are mixed to form a broadcast picture and very often also supplemented by inserted text and configured with video effects. The output signal of the studio mixer is made available for transmission at a plurality of outputs. This includes transmission to a satellite, a cable network or terrestrial broadcasting installations, from where the broadcast is relayed to the viewers. Modern studio devices are nowadays able to make the video signals available simultaneously in different formats and different standards at various outputs. The selection of which signals are provided at which outputs is performed by an operator in the studio. Said operator's task is furthermore made more difficult by the fact that the incoming signal sources generally also have different formats. However, many input formats cannot be converted into every output format, so that it is not necessarily possible for every input signal to be forwarded to every output. This has to be taken into account by the operator in the connection and forwarding of signal sources.
To summarize, it must be emphasized that the activity of the operator also has technical aspects besides the creative aspect of mixing and configuring television pictures from various signal sources. Firstly, it is necessary to select the correct signal sources on the input side and forward them to the correct outputs. That alone is extremely difficult with more than two hundred inputs and two hundred outputs. Secondly, in this case, it is necessary at the same time to take account of the compatibility of the input signals with the output signals. For these reasons, the operator's work is very challenging.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a method which relieves the operator as far as possible of the burden of the abovementioned technical aspects in the course of his activity, in order that he can concentrate on the creative aspect of his work.